The Riddle
by BlueLingerie
Summary: Retelling of the fairytale "riddle." If you never heard of it, here goes; Hisoka is a prince who is force to pick a bride, if he cannot solve the riddle they will be marked with a letter. In comes Tsuzuki with his merry men and woman... H Tsu


The mystery

by: BlueLingerie

"The castle is under attack," the guard man alerted before he was stabbed in the stomach with a broad sword, but it was too late, the castle knew of its disturbance.

The sandy blond hair teenager sat against the rough wall hugging his legs as he listen and feel the raw emotions that surrounds him. He could briefly imagine what it was like to see the battle, to be outside once more. The depressing part was that he could never escape what he is, doomed to spend his life in this prison.

As the battle raged on, he could feel his head pounding with too many emotions; he clutched his head bending forward in pain. Even though over the years he learned how to control his empathy sometimes, it was too much for him to handle and he would pass out.

He fells himself lose unconsciousness as the pain overwhelming him.

* * *

Three men dress in pitch-black robes stood under the red moon as they waited for their last and important companion. 

"Hum… the moon is red tonight," the more sophisticated male noticed looking up at the brilliant stars.

"There is a legend on the red moon" the second male cut in, the two males sweatdropped, "legend says that a man was cursed to live for the kill by the devil himself, each time there is a red moon a kingdom or town is being killed."

"Really?" the gullible of the males asked.

"Tsuzuki you should not believe everything you hear. Also, that is a made up story to scare children in staying indoors at night" the oldest male explained, the second male was about to defend his point when the door of bakery slammed opened.

There standing at the threshold was a young woman with dark hair holding a potato sack, the light from the bakery gave her an angelic glow, but she was anything but a devil in disguised.

The bubbly young man bounced over and took the bag from her hand smiling as he did, he happened to glance into the small shop to see the baker trembling in fright. He looked back at their only female companion and shook his head; he gave a sot sigh and entered the brightly lit bakery. Seeing the baker stumble back as he proceeded inside halted, he fished through his pockets and threw the bag of gold pieces at his feet and left.

The baker's fear turned into confusion and surprised, he watched the brown hair young man exit before picking up the bag of gold at his feet. Weighting its contents he smiled, it was more than enough to pay for their purchased and then some. He watched from the entrance as the young woman whom she claimed to be a princess with provided proof and the dark brown hair young man argued, the princess huffed and pulled up her hood, the three men did the same, and they together set off. He wished the men luck, thank god, he was not under her family's rule he silently thanked.

The road toward shokan only took five hours' of travel but the four have been traveling all night, the sky on their left was brightening.

"We are lost aren't we?" Tsuzuki asked unexpected confirming their suspicions; they turned to the princess with a rise brow.

"What" she demanded angrily. They narrowed their eyes and glared and her. She sighed, "Alright, I do not want to meet him yet are you happy now" she confessed.

"Do you know where we are?" the princess shook her head and the three men groaned.

"How about we ask someone," Tsuzuki asked, they turned to him with an are you crazy look.

"How do we possibly do that, we are in the middle of nowhere?" the mature male questioned.

"Maybe we should keep going straight until we reach a kingdom," the princess suggested.

"We do not know the distance of the next kingdom, it could take days or months," the second male reasoned.

"How about we ask someone?" Tsuzuki repeated.

"What is with you and asking someone?" the second male asked.

"Because there is someone listening behind those bushes"

"By the order of the princes show yourself"

"There is another way of asking her to reveal herself, you know"

"This is funnier" she laughed as the blond hair young woman revealed herself, standing there nervously under their gaze.

"Hello, we juts need to know the direction to…" the princess knocked him over the head before he could finish his sentence.

"You servant give me a place to rest" she demanded with her hands on her hips.

The blond hair young woman looked slightly alarmed at her request.

"What she meant was can you please give us a place to sleep for just one night" the second male re-corrected.

The blond hair young woman nodded and motioned them to follow her, they traveled through the maze of trees for a few minutes before the blond hair young woman stopped them.

"You have to watch what you say and act around my grandma," she explained. It was then that she noticed that there were only three out of the four weary travels. She turned and walked into the clearing to see the fourth making her way toward her cottage, she quickly ran up to her and stopped her.

"You must heed my warning," she begged but the princess brushed her off and continued walking, she stared at her retreating form in shock and anger.

"Don't worry about it, now where is that bed" Tsuzuki asked, the blond hair young woman smiled and left the three men to the door where the princess was standing tapping her feet.

"Grandma I am home" she screamed when she entered the cottage, the hunched back old woman raised her head at the direction of the voice and smiled when she recognized it to be her granddaughter.

"Who are they Geizel" she asked when she spotted them.

"They need a place to stay for tonight," Geizel explained, the old woman nodded welcoming them into her house.

"Now that is settled I am hungry," the princess announced, she pushed pass Geizel and her grandma and sampled the soup boiling in the fireplace.

"I had better, it just need some more things" Geizel's grandmother 's mouth dropped at her rudeness, her eyes narrowed into slits as she watched the dark hair girl move around her kitchen.

The three men felt the temperature of the room decrease all of a sudden, Geizel looked back at them silently telling them be careful.

"This bed is lumpy, I demand a better bed" the princess stomped.

"Just go to sleep, Tsubaki," Tutsumi ordered having enough of her bossiness and turned over facing the wall.

* * *

"Thank you for allowing us to stay" they each thanked except for the princess whose reason was that they are there are obliged to do so. 

"Here is some wine before you go" the old woman smiled offering the goblet of red wine.

"Finally your acting like you are supposed to" the old woman narrowed her eyes.

Her eyes sparkled as Tsubaki lifted the goblet to her lips, Geizel seeing this quickly rush over and knocked the goblet from her hands.

"What are you doing…" her eyes widen at the ground smoking as the acid ate through the ground, her eyes narrowed and she turned to face the old woman.

"Y-You tried to kill me" she stammered, the old woman snorted and crossed her arms.

"You deserved it you insolent brat"

"Who are you calling?"

"Stop my grandma meant no harm please," Geizel, begged on her knees, the princess looked down at the begging blond hair young woman and smirked.

"I can have your grandmother arrest or even hanged," she acknowledged with a smug look.

"Stop it Tsubaki. You have no reason to also you brought this upon yourself" Tatsumi reasoned the princess. She snorted and turned away.

"I will spare this pathetic old bastard" she sighed turning away, the old woman lunged at her but her granddaughter stopped her with the shake of her head.

"We thank you once more for you hospitality" Tatsumi bowed.

"What the hell? What will I ride on? I cannot walk. I am a princess" the three men sighed. This was going to be a long day, they thought as they watched the princess demand that the old woman to give them transportation.

"Hum… this can be useful," Wataris, thought, he killed the crow eating the horse and stuffed it feather and all in his bag.

They traveled through the forest once more but with knowledge of their direction, there was a nearby village several hours' travel due west. Along the way, Taubaki complained about her feet, about how she was the princess and how she was going to inform her father about this.


End file.
